Limestone is the flavour of the day

The hillside vines of Lime Rock down Central Hawke's Bay way. Photo / Supplied

Lime Rock Vineyard

There's plenty of history involved with winemaking in Hawke's Bay, with several wineries boasting more than a century of working the fruit of the vines.

But there probably wouldn't be too many who would bandy the figure of three million years about.

But Rodger Tynan and Rosie Butler down in Central Hawke's Bay at Lime Rock have the proof right there at the winery ... giant scallop and oyster shells which have been unearthed in the lime landscape where the vineyard is now spread.

They are remarkable survivors from when the region's limestone base was actually a seabed.

It is a fascinating part of the land, and Rosie, who is the winemaker, said the limestone base which inspired the winery's name produced wines with a characteristic minerality and "good length on the palate".

She said the limestone, the altitude of the vines and distance from the sea also created a uniqueness to the wines she and husband Rodger, who is a viticulturist, make.

They were ingredients which created a complexity, she said.

And they have embraced their terrain through the naming of some of their varieties - such as the sauvignon blanc dubbed "coquina".

Coquina describes a crumbling limestone soil structure.

"The hills and slopes provide a diverse environment with increasing soil depth down the slope - and the slopes also allow cold air drainage, so frost is not an issue here."

The silty layers also had good moisture sustainability so irrigation was seldom used.

There was also the bonus of having volcanic ash layers after events long ago, creating a natural fertility.

They do things as nature friendly and as naturally as they can at Lime Rock.

The couple set up the winery in 2000 after arriving in CHB from Australia.

Rodger is from South Australia, a fine wine-growing region, and studied viticulture and ecology.

For Rosie, it was a return home as she was born in CHB and grew up on a farm property nearby.

With a medical laboratory scientist background, she started out with Montana in 1974 before heading to Australia to further her studies - where she met Rodger.

They decided to hit the wine-making trail in the limestone lands of Rosie's home and have not looked back.

The 10-hectare vineyard is mostly pinot noir, of nine different clones.

They also have pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, merlot, cabernet franc and some gruner veltliner, which was planted in 2008.

There is also a small trial vineyard, out of sight and secret though.

It is worth a bit of a drive down that way, you can take SH50 and turn off just past Tikokino or go down to Waipawa and turn off from the petrol station there (you'll see the signs) as it is a special region, and Rosie and Rodger are happy to entertain callers.

You can also take a picnic ... and check out those three-million-year-old shells.